Machine for testing and sorting cartons holding containers



Dec. 5, 1961 R. F. KRUPP ETA]. 3,011,633

MACHINE FOR TESTING AND SORTING CARTONS HOLDING CONTAINERS Filed April 21, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Robert F. Krupp y Jan K. Wagner Dec. 5, 1961 R. F. KRUPP ETAL 3,011,633

MACHINE FOR TESTING AND SORTING CARTONS HOLDING CONTAINERS Filed ,April 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4. Fig.5.

INVENTORS Robert F. Krupp BY Jan K. Wagner mufm . 5, 1961 R. F. KRUPP ETAL MACHINE FOR TESTING AND SORTING CARTONS HOLDING CONTAINERS Filed April 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Robert F. Krupp BY Jun K Wagner United States PatentO 3,011,633 MACHINE FOR TESTING AND SORTING CARTONS HOLDING CONTAINERS Robert F. Krupp and Jan K. Wagner, Oakiand, Caiifl, as-

signors to Gerber Products Company, Fremont, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 21, 196i), Ser. No. 23,799 4 Claims. (Cl. 269-44) The present invention relates to a machine for testing and sorting cartons holding containers. A preferred use for this machine is in an automatic line of machines handling glass containers initially held in shipping cartons. The flaps of the cartons are first laid open and thereafter the containers, which are preferably glass jars are removed. To prevent damage to the containers and to the machines, it is desirable that means be provided to test Whether all flaps of the cartons are fully open and the containers are all in position with their open months uppermost. It is further desirable that cartons not passing such test be discarded. The present invention provides an automatic machine fulfilling these requirements. Reference is made to co-pending application Serial No. 672,618, filed on July 18, 1957, for Case Feeding and Opening Means, of which this application is a continuation-in-part.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of improved means to test whether all of the flaps have been properly opened and whether any of the jars in the carton are inverted. This portion of the machine is used in proximity to the case unloader, the latter having carriages with depending cups spaced in the same pattern as the pattern of the jars in the carton. If no resistance is encountered, the cups fit into the jars and do not push downwardly on the carton with any substantial force. However, if a flap is closed, or if a jar is inverted, downward movement of the cups is impeded and a downward force is exerted on the carton. The present invention provides an improved means for supporting the carton in such manner that if the carton is pushed downwardly with an unusual force a pneumatic circuit is energized which rotates the support for the carton downwardly and insures that the carton is removed from further progress along the line.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is transverse, vertical sectional view through the machine and showing also a portion of the subsequent machine in the automatic line which unloads the jars from the cartons.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary views illustrating how the machine may be changed over to accommodate cartons of different widths.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic wiring diagram for the mechanism which releases unwanted cartons.

The tester machine is located beyond the flap opener portion of the automatic line and underlies the forward portion of the unloader station. Reference is made to co-pending patent application Serial No. 672,618 in which a tester station is also shown, and this portion of the present invention constitutes an improvement on said application Serial No. 672,618.

As has been stated, the tester station underlies a portion of the unloader station, which is the subject of U.S.

3,011,633 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 Patent No. 2,818,987, and also of co-pending patent application Serial No. 672,618, filed July 18, 1957, for Case Feeding and Opening Means. A complete description of the unloader station is believedunnecessary, but it may be stated that there are provided a plurality of carriages 251, each made up of a plurality of relatively movable plates, the carriages being moved along trackways 252 on either side of the machine. Depending from the lowermost plate is a plurality of deformable rubber cups or protuberances 253 which are positioned in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the jars in the carton. The function of the unloader machine is such that at a proper time interval in the sequence of operation the cups 253 are lowered into the open mouths of the jars and thereupon the cups are deformed outwardly so that they grip the inner surface of the jars and hold the same.

It is apparent that it is essential to proper operation of the unloader that each jar be turned mouth upward and that all of the flaps be open. The function of the tester station is to test whether these conditions are met and to immediately discard any cases in which a carton flap is unopened or one or more jars is inverted.

Disposed on either side of the machine is a pair of outwardly, upwardly slanted arms or levers 256 which are pivoted by means of pivots 257 at their outer ends to extensions 258 of frame members 32 and 33. The inner end of each lever supports an end of horizontally disposed angle bar 259 on to which the cartons are transferred as they leave the preceding flap opener station (not shown). In the normal position of the levers, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, one flange of each angle 259 is horizontal and supports the bottom of the carton and one flange is vertical and supports the side edge of the carton. The flaps are held in outwardly extending position by angles 261 on the frame. When, in proper sequence in the operation of the machine, the cups 253 are lowered into the jars, if there is no resistance to the lowering of the cups, no undue force is applied to the levers 256 and the tester remains inoperative. However, if a cup 253 encounters either an unopened flap or an inverted jar, the resistance to the downward movement of the cups is transmitted to the levers 256 forcing one or both of the levers down toward the dot and dash position of FIG. 1. As soon as one of the levers 256 is forced downwardly even a short distance, it breaks contact with its adjacent microswitch 266 and this energizes an electro-pneumatic circuit which results in both levers 256 being retracted to full downward position shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 1. It will be noted that when levers 256 are down there is no support for the carton, which results in its dropping out of the line so that it can be discarded so that whatever condition has caused its discard may be rectified.

Arms 256 are mounted on longitudinal shafts 257 which carry cranks 262 biased toward upper or solid line position by means of vertical helical springs 263. Upward movement is limited by brackets 265. Each spring 263 is fixed at its upper end to vertically slidable bar 264 by pin 273. Bar 264 at its lower end is formed with an elongated vertical slot 268 within which pin 267 slides. Pin 267 extends between cranks 262 and moves therewith. Thus, there is a slight amount of loose play of pin 267 for the length of slot 268 which permits very slight downward movement of lever 256 against the force of springs 263 but without movement of bar 264. However, as soon as contact with one of the microswitches 266 is broken an electric circuit energizes the upper portion of pneumatic cylinder 268 which is pivoted by pivot 269 to the upper end of vertical member 258 on frame 32 or 33 and causes piston rod 272 and attached bar 264 to move downwardly until pin 267 contacts the end of slot 263 and moves levers 256 downwardly to the dot and dash position shown in FIG. 1. Since there is a cylinder 268 on each side of the machine, as soon as either of the levers 256 is deflected downward, both arms are fully retracted and the carton drops out of supports 259.

The circuit between microswitch 266 and air cylinder 268- is shown in FIG. 6 and its method of operation is as follows. When arms 256 are horizontal they raise switch arms 174, thus holding open normally closed switches 266. When arms 256 move downwardly, contact with their associated switch arms 174 is broken, causing closing of switches 266 and completing a circuit through normally closed contact 180 of relay 177 and solenoid 178 which, when energized, actuates valve 179 controlling air to cylinders 268 which causes retraction of both piston rods 272, thereby insuring that both angles 259 are fully lowered and causing a carton held by arms 174 to be lowered for discard. When both levers 2.56 are in down position, switch arms 174 are closed, causing closing of normally open switches 182L and 182R. Closing of both switches 1821., and 182R (wired in series) energizes coil 183 of relay 177 which opens normally closed contact 180 and closes normally open contact 180*, thus holding coil 183 energized until both arms 256 are fully raised, whereupon the circuit through coil 183 is broken. As a result arms 256 and switches 266 are in proper position to accept the next succeeding carton delivered by the flap opener. Changeover to accommodate different width cartons is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Angle bars 259 are fastened to arms 256 by means of interchangeable brackets 276 (FIG. 4), To accommodate narrower cartons, brackets 276 are substituted (FIG. 5).

What is claimed is:

1. A device for testing cartons having flaps holding containers and sorting cartons improperly loaded comprising means having depending protuberances distributed in the same pattern as containers in said cartons and dimensioned to fit down into the up-turned open mouths of said containers, means for moving said last-mentioned means to push said protuberances through a path of movement to fit inside said containers when said fiaps are open and said containers are turned mouth uppermost, edge supports fitting under the side edges of one of said cartons, outwardly-upwardly extending arms on which said supports are fixed, said edge supports supporting said carton when said arms are in up position and dropping said carton downward when said arms are in full-downward position, pivotal mounting means for said arms, at least one switch in proximity to one of said arms and arranged to lie in' first position when said arm is fully up and to be switched to second position when said arm is pushed partially downward by said first-mentioned means, an air cylinder having a piston rod, means connecting said rod with said arm, and means for energizing said cylinder to move said arm to full-downward position upon said switch being switched to second position. i 2. A device for testing cartonshaving fiaps holding containers and sorting cartons improperly loaded comprising means having depending protuberances distributed in the same pattern as containers in said cartons and dimentioned to fit down into the up-turned open mouths of said containers, means for moving said last-mentioned means to push said protuberances through a path of movement to fit inside said containers when said flaps are open and said containers are turned mouth uppermost, edge supports fitting under the side edges of one of said cartons, outwardly-upwardly extending arms on which said supports are fixed, said edge supports supporting said carton when said arms are in up position and dropping said carton downward when said arms are in fulldownward position, pivotal mounting means for said arms, at least one switch in proximity to one of said arms and arranged to lie in first position when said arm is fully up and to be switched to second position when said arm is pushed partially downward by said first-mentioned means, an air cylinder having a piston rod, a crank mounted for pivotal movement with said arm, and a link connecting said piston rod with said crank to move said arm to full-downward position upon said switch being switched to second position.

3. A device according to claim 2 which comprises an arm at each corner of said carton, a switch for each said arm, a cylinder on each side of said carton, and means interconnecting each said cylinder with a pair of arms whereby it any of said switches is moved to second position both said cylinders are energized and all' of said arms are moved to full-downward position.

4. A device for testing cartons having .flaps holding containers and sorting cartons improperly loaded comprising means having depending protuberances distributed in the same pattern as containers in said cartons and dimensioned to fit down into the up-turned open mouths of said containers, means for moving said last-mentioned means to push said protuberances through a path of movement to fit inside said containers when said flaps are open and said containers are turned mouth uppermost, edge supports fitting under the side edges of one of said cartons, outwardly-upwardly extending arms on which said supports are fixed, said edge supports supporting said carton when said arms are in up position and dropping said carton downward when said arms are in full-downward position, pivotal mounting means for said arms, at least one switch in proximity to one of said arms and arranged to lie in first position when said arm is fully up and to be switched to second position when said arm is pushed partially downward by said first-mentioned means, an air cylinder having a piston rod, a crank mounted for pivotal movement with said arm, said crank having a slot, a link movable with said piston rod, a pin on said link fitting in saidslot, and a spring biasing said crank toward said cylinder whereby said arm has loose play in a downward direction against the force of said spring, whereby when said switch is switched to second position said cylinder is energized to move said arm to full-downward position.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,348,341 7 Winkley Aug. 3, 1920 2,010,190 Jahne Aug. 6, 1935 2,174,007 Mowrer Sept. 26, 19,39 

